The Poetic Edda

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The Poetic Edda

“The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!) and well worth the wait. These amazing texts from a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript are of huge historical, mythological and literary importance, containing the lion’s share of information that survives today about the gods and heroes of pre-Christian Scandinavians, their unique vision of the beginning and end of the world, etc. Jackson Crawford’s modern versions of these poems are authoritative and fluent and often very gripping. With their individual headnotes and complementary general introduction, they supply today’s readers with most of what they need to know in order to understand and appreciate the beliefs, motivations, and values of the Vikings.”
—Dick Ringler, Professor Emeritus of English and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison

“[A]n excellent and entertaining work that succeeds in achieving its intended purpose: to create an accessible and readable English translation of the Poetic Edda. Crawford’s knowledge of and passion for the topic is clear throughout, and he strikes an excellent balance between approachability and authenticity. I will most certainly be using this translation when I teach Norse mythology in the future and will recommend it to anyone looking for an approachable introduction to the subject.”
—Natalie M. Van Deusen, University of Alberta, in Scandinavian-Canadian Studies

“Crawford’s Edda is easy to pick up and read. Commentary is minimal but useful, and the verse itself is presented in a visually clear style. A published poet in his own right, Crawford renders his translation in a modest, cautiously elegant free verse with a rigorous consistency that gives the material fluency impossible in a translation reflecting the original Old Norse syntax. Crawford’s sense of rhythm is perhaps his strongest suit here, contributing significantly to the readability of the verse. The diction is simple and clear. . . . [Crawford’s verse has] a conservative sparseness that often comes close to echoing the terseness of the Old Norse Eddic metres.”
—Pete Sandberg, University College London, in Saga-Book

“There’s a difference… actually, there’s an abyss between a translation and a true, high quality social localization. That means conveying the work in a way it respects the original context and makes it available to a foreign audience in the right context. That’s not easy. But the reader can sense when reading a mere translation or a true localization. Mr. Crawford has given us the context of the Edda in a language we can truly feel and visualize the Edda in its full wonder.”—Laet Oliveira, translator, in Amazon reviews